


the queens' pavilion

by betony



Category: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Gen, Headcanon, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-03
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2018-01-11 00:45:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betony/pseuds/betony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At a pavilion specially constructed at the border between their countries, the Queen of Attolia greeted the Queen of Eddis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the queens' pavilion

At a pavilion specially constructed at the border between their countries, the Queen of Attolia greeted the Queen of Eddis. Servants had been working for weeks to design the scaffolding necessary, to weave the cloths that lined the Queen of Attolia’s throne, to coax rare and beautiful flowers into life along the path that the Queen of Eddis would take to meet her royal sister, and now, as the Queen reclined in the midst of such splendor, the overall effect was rather overwhelming—or at least the Eddisian delegation seemed to think so, given their slow shuffle across the border. 

“Dear cousin,” pronounced the Queen of Attolia, beaming at their approach, “how wonderful to see you.” 

The Queen of Eddis inclined her head only slightly in response. She had more reason than most to be wary of Attolia, and she looked noticeably uncomfortable in the summer heat under the fine Attolian-style gown she had worn in honor of her host. Her ladies had formed a protective phalanx around her up until they came into the Queen of Attolia’s presence, but here they would have to remain behind, hovering in the periphery of the royal reception amongst their Attolian counterparts. Neither Queen nor attendants appeared particularly pleased by this. 

The Queen of Attolia smiled wider as she took in the sight of her fellow Queen. For a moment, her expression recalled the beauty that had once captivated her husband, now lost beneath years of complacence and corpulence. “How very thin you look,” she said at last. “I no longer wonder that your latest child was only another girl.” 

The Queen of Eddis managed a wan grin. “It seems, Your Majesty, I’m meant to follow your own example.” 

At this, the Queen of Attolia’s mouth remained frozen in its deceptively mild pose. “Of course. It would take two Eddisian girls to match an Attolian maiden—on which note….” She turned to one of her attendants and barked: “You there, Euanthe! Go and fetch me my daughter.” 

Euanthe bowed and hurried from the pavilion; one of the Eddisian women followed her, only to shake her head once they were a safe distance away and mutter: “Your Majesty’s in full form today.” 

Euanthe kept her eyes trained directly ahead, but whispered back, “The barons still scheme against her. She claims her dinner was poisoned once more yesterday. The King has yet another mistress.” Her lips twitched in what could be a smirk. “Our Queen learns all too late to take the honey from her bees rather than the sting.” 

The Eddisian hid a laugh behind her hand, but by the time they returned with the young princess following behind them, their expressions were stoic once more. Neither Queen tolerated insubordination, even in their intimates. 

The Queen of Attolia rose, awkwardly, to her feet. “Irene!” she said, extending a hand to her daughter. “Look, cousin; my daughter approaches. Does she not resemble me?” 

The Queen of Eddis ignored the question to stand as well, far more gracefully. “Well met, Princess Irene,” she said with real warmth in her voice, and pulled a short child with a mass of curls to her side. “I would have you meet my own young scoundrel. Helen, say hello.” 

Helen bounded forward. “Hello, Princess Irene!” 

The Princess Irene favored her only with a nod. “Princess Helen.” 

“Marvelous!” cried the Queen of Attolia. “I knew you should be friends, as your mothers are.” 

Neither princess seemed to agree with this assessment, Helen already beginning to frown at Irene’s frosty expression. For that matter, even the Queen of Eddis looked rather surprised to hear of her friendship with the other queen, and several of her attendants suddenly felt the need to avoid catching each other’s eye. 

The Attolian attendants felt no such scruples. Several snickers could be heard from their ranks, none identifiable. 

“Now go and play, children,” snapped the Queen of Attolia, and waved her hand dismissively. “We Queens have much to discuss.” 

Irene looked rather as though she wished to protest at the thought of spending the afternoon looking after a child four years her junior. Helen did protest, and was shushed by six attendants and her mother for her troubles. Reluctantly, the younger two departed, and the Queens sat down to business. 

For a while they spoke of pleasantries, and then the Queen of Attolia’s expression shifted and the Queen of Eddis nodded in return. The next any of the attendants knew, they were ushered out of the pavilion to a woman, and the two Queens spoke together in hushed voices. They spoke as the sun dipped below the horizon, not stopping until the two young princesses returned, both appearing rather relieved to see the end of each other. Sharp-tongued Euanthe was known to remark later that young Irene looked even more dull-faced than ever, and Princess Helen was so ill-mannered as to pull faces behind the Attolian princess’s back. 

With a final perfunctory kiss, the Queen of Eddis, her daughter Helen, and her retinue departed, meaning to continue onwards to the city of Attolia, where they would be reunited with their King and face Attolis’s generosity. The Queen of Attolia and her daughter Irene would remain behind, kept away from court until the visitors departed. 

It was, though none of them knew it, the last time all four would be together; in six months, the Queen of Attolia would be dead, and six years afterwards, the Queen of Eddis would follow.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to my Tumblr; edited and crossposted here.


End file.
